Posted on 11/11/2012 7:47:40 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
President Barack Obama once promised, as a U.S. Senator, to honor veterans of the Cold War, who have never received official recognition and are therefore prevented from full participation in many Veterans Day celebrations. But he never fulfilled that promise--neither in the Senate nor the White House--leaving Cold War veterans in the cold.
This weekend, the Wall Street Journal documented the promise, made in 2006 to Frank Almquist, an Illinois constituent who had served in the Army in the 1980s. A medal for Cold War veterans seemed "appropriate," Obama wrote, and wrote that he hoped "this impasse can be broken soon." He never took up the task.
The U.S. has thus far failed to honor those who served in the long struggle against communism, which began almost as soon as the Second World War had ended. Though communist regimes--especially Stalin's Soviet Union and Mao's China, and satellites such as Pol Pot's Cambodia--committed more murders than the Nazis, few Americans are aware of the absolute moral evil that communism represents, or the sacrifices made to stop it.
The fact that the U.S. government has never formally recognized Cold War veterans has meant they have been excluded from veterans' groups such as the American Legion, which only includes veterans from periods of "hot" wars, regardless of where or how the veterans served. The U-2 pilots who provided essential intelligence; the soldiers who kept watch in Berlin; the sailors who were silent sentinels aboard submarines, tracking Soviet movements, ready to strike--all have gone unheralded, and largely uncelebrated, even on Veterans Day...
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Obama’s whole life is about lies and broken promises. Nothing new.
BTW, thank YOU for your service.
So am I,but do we really need a medal?
Me too, 2DV. PACAF 1961-1962 and NATO 1962-1963.
I did Boomer patrols...proud cold warrior here!...we won...I think?
Seems to me that in 2008 we somehow lost what we’d gained.
Seems to me that in 2008 we somehow lost what we’d gained. Gold or Blue?
Very simple reason. He rooted(and still roots) for the other side.
You got that right. It sickens me to think I spent 8 years of my life standing guard against communism, only to have the American people elect a marxist Usurper. Feels as though I've been stabbed in the back. They can take those medals and shove them up their traitorous @$$.
That is the truth!
Those words are turning up more and more in proximity one to another.
I despise Obama as much as the next man, but this is a stupid article. Veterans Day honors any veteran. Makes no difference if they served in a war of not. No, there is no such thing as Cold War Medal, but there is a Cold War Certificate you can get from the Dept of Defense. The dates of the “Cold War” were 1945 to 1991. The American Legion does have some stupid requirements. They use the dates the VA uses for eligible “war eras”, which not does include the Cold War. If enough vets were to raise hell I’ll bet the American Legion would allow these vets. They need to because their membership is down.
http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=2031
As you probably know, the V.A. treats “wartime” veterans differently in some ways, such as counseling at Vet Centers and non-disabled pensions.
“As you probably know, the V.A. treats “wartime” veterans differently in some ways, such as counseling at Vet Centers and non-disabled pensions”
Well aware of the discrimination. Had a good friend who was on active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which happened to occur in years that are not officially recognized as a “conflict”. He applied for a non-service connected pension and was turned down because of this two-bit requirement. He was in the Navy, on high alert, when it all happened. It was not an easy time to be a sailor that’s for damn sure. The VA needs to recognize the entire period from 1945 till now and treat all vets the same. I have friends that are on the Wall that didn’t qualify for a VSM. Go figure.
If he honors any Cold War vets it will be on the Communist side...
There are two versions/designs of this Medal. Many are being sold on the net, yet unauthorized for wear on uniform.
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